Appraisal and coping responses to pain and stress in migraine headache sufferers

The purpose of this study was to investigate how migraine headache sufferer s and headache-free controls differ in their appraisal and coping responses to a cognitive (mental arithmetic) and a physical (cold presser) laborator y stressor Fifty-two women (26 migraine headache and 26 controls) completed the study. Results indicated that migraine sufferers rated the cold presse r task as significantly more painful compared to headache-free participants . Migraine headache sufferers also reported more wishful thinking and self- criticism in managing the mental arithmetic stressor. In addition, migraine participants reported the use of more social withdrawal and catastrophizin g in managing stress and pain outside of the laboratory.